More on Cardinal Cottier

Yesterday I posted an excerpt from a blog post by John L. Allen, Jr. about an essay written by Cardinal George Cottier in which the "former theologian of the papal household under Pope John Paul II" offered a surprisingly positive evaluation of Barack Obama's approach to abortion.

Colleen Kochivar-Baker has written a terrific response to it at her aptly-titled blog, Enlightened Catholicism.

The abortion debate in the past has typically been over whether it should be legal or not. Things are starting to change, and now the debate is increasingly over the question of whether or not criminalisation is the really the best strategy for reducing the number of abortions.

As Colleen points out, "It's really an accomplishment of President Obama and progressive Catholics that the abortion debate is finally being framed in this way."

She contrasts Cottier's "realism" -- which reflects a position that many progressive Catholics have held for years, by the way -- with the opposition by Church leaders to a much-needed national reproductive bill in the Phillipines.

I urge you to check it out.